The Victorian government has identified the preferred transmission corridor to connect Australia’s inaugural offshore wind projects off the Gippsland coast to the state’s electricity grid, another milestone in the development of the state’s offshore wind industry.
State network planning agency VicGrid has mapped out a 60-kilometre, 200-metre-wide corridor running between the Loy Yang Power Station switchyard and a proposed new terminal station at Giffard.
The designated pathway will host the shared transmission infrastructure needed to integrate new offshore generation as Victoria transitions away from retiring coal-fired power stations.
The announcement comes on the heels of Australia’s first offshore wind auction, which aims to deliver two gigawatts of offshore capacity, enough to power roughly 1.5 million homes.
Overall, offshore wind developments are expected to inject more than AU$20 billion in investment into Victoria, with the initial auction alone slated to provide a AU$3.1 billion economic boost to regional Gippsland communities.
VicGrid has been refining the corridor since 2023 through environmental, technical, and cultural heritage assessments alongside consultation with local stakeholders.
Officials are currently engaging directly with affected landholders inside the corridor to discuss indicative tower placements, construction requirements, and transmission easements to inform the project’s reference design.
Energy and Resources Minister Jaclyn Symes emphasised the long-term economic and energy benefits for the region.
“Gippsland has powered Victoria for generations – offshore wind will keep it an energy powerhouse, creating thousands of jobs and attracting billions in investment,” Symes said.
“We’ve launched Australia’s first offshore wind auction and now we’re getting on with the transmission needed to bring that cheap, reliable energy into the grid.
“Landholders and locals have helped shape the route we have today – we’ll keep working with them as we build an offshore wind industry that delivers jobs, investment and opportunities for Gippsland.”
The project’s reference design will undergo formal environmental assessment through an Environment Effects Statement (EES), with public exhibition and community submissions scheduled for early 2027.
